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WHAT IS KOSHER?
Kosher food is a term that applies to foods that meet standards of being
fit for consumption by people observant of Jewish dietary laws.
Kosher Food can be grouped into three categories:
1. Foods that are always kosher. These are foods like fruits
and vegetables
that are not processed in any way.
2. Foods that are processed in a plant may be kosher if the ingredients
and process
used, meet kosher criteria and are
supervised by a reliable kosher authority.
3. Foods that can never be kosher, ie. pork or shellfish.
Foods are further classified as: Dairy, Meat, Pareve (neutral – neither
Dairy nor Meat, ie. Fish, eggs, fruits and vegetables) and for Passover
Use.
Foods acceptable for Passover involve additional laws which ensure
that foods do not contain any kind of leavened products. Production of Passover foods require
extra supervision.
PROCESSED or STORE-BOUGHT FOODS:
Foods that are processed are identified as kosher by a trademark “kosher
symbol”, that certifies the food as kosher. This is usually a certification organization also known as a
certification agency, such as the K.O.A.
Producers of food products can contact a K.O.A. representative to have
their product kosher certified. A representative will visit their
facilities to inspect production methods and contents of the product and
issue kosher certification.
Contrary to common myth, a Rabbi does not ”bless” food to render it
kosher. To produce a kosher product, all of the ingredients must be
kosher certified. The equipment on which the product will be made must be kosher as well.
The fee charged by kosher certification agencies cover research expenses
and inspection of facilities.
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